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Other neighbors began appearing at their doorways.

The Fury of Flying Fists

Then the shouting match gave way to something more serious. The Indian lady started to hit the lodger with her hands and her feet. The lodger put up his hand to block the blows. The fury of flying fists and kicking legs took the both of them clear out of the house onto where the kids were playing minutes before.

By now virtually the whole neighborhood had gathered to watch.

The lodger finally decided to retaliate. Being the stronger person, he easily brought the lady to the ground with a violent push. The lady hit the ground hard and brushed parts of her body. There was blood on her hands and face! She must have hit her face on the ground.

The lodger turned and walked away.

I watched as the neighbors closed in on the fallen woman and helped her to her feet. There was a maddening chattering of voices as they started asking why they had quarreled and fought. I shrugged my shoulders and turned to walk back to my house.

I froze on middle-stride as an ear-piercing scream filled the air!

The Flying Sword

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Quickly I turned around just in time to see the lodger holding an antique sword in his hand approaching the Indian lady. Very quickly too the entourage of neighbors surrounding the lady dispersed leaving her standing alone.

In less than the time I took to shout a warning. The lodger was on her. The sword went up and down in one swift stroke that opened up a terrific cut on her arm. She fell to the ground clutching her bloody arm. He raised the sword again!

“Stop!” came from a booming voice.

Ah Keong the butcher appeared. Everyone froze. Ah Keong moved towards the lodger and confidently took the sword away. It felt as though Ah Keong had suddenly mesmerized the lodger or that the lodger had enough of violence for the day. Whichever it was, Ah Keong was a brave man to do what he had done.

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The tension in the air broke. The neighbors again rushed to the lady to help her. The lodger turned and walked away again. This time he did not reappear with a sword. In fact, he went straight back to his room and stayed there until the police came and took him away. He did not resist the police in any way.

Reminded of the Fight

The actual fight did not last very long, at most a minute or so. Films are so unreal in making fights last ten times longer. I really felt frightened seeing the parang do its deadly work in real life. A samurai sword on television cannot compare with the intensity of an antique sword in reality.

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The lodger was jailed for assault. The lady’s injuries healed and shortly after the incident, the Indian couple and their kids moved away. Nevertheless every-time I took at the neighboring house I am reminded of the fight that started from there.